Rotary - An Overview By Rotarian John Brenton. Rotary International is the world's oldest service club organisation and is made up of some 31,000 Clubs in more than 166 countries around the world. Our members form a global network of business and professional leaders who volunteer their time and talents to serve their local community and the world. Rotary's original motto "Service above Self" exemplifies the humanitarian spirit of the organisation's more than 1.2 million members. Recently an additional motto of "Humanity in Motion" was introduced. Strong fellowship among Rotarians and meaningful community and international service projects characterise Rotary worldwide. Rotary enjoys a rich and complex tradition and organisational structure with many different programmes of local community and international service and most of these are carried out at club level. Rotary was formed on the 23rd February, 1905 in Chicago by Paul Harris, a Chicago attorney who, with five others, founded the Rotary Club of Chicago. These pioneers decided to hold meetings in each other’s homes on a rota basis, hence the name ‘Rotary’ was adopted.

In 1906 the very first act of Rotary service was the provision by the Chicago Club of a public toilet outside the Chicago City Hall; from this small beginning Rotary Clubs undertake every year practical acts of service in local communities across the world. In 1917 The Rotary Foundation was established, with a view to ensuring Rotarians would be able to operate their international service in an efficient and cost effective way. The Rotary Foundation is Rotary's own charity, and as such it now operates the largest Educational Scholarship programme in the world; the Foundation awards more than 1,000 International Scholarships each year, sending the students to universities around the world to act as ambassadors of goodwill while studying in a foreign country. Rotary World Peace Scholarships are awarded to 70 individuals each year to study for a Master's Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution; the first graduates are already making a fine contribution working in countries like Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Kosova and Ethiopia with international organisations on aid programmes.

The Rotary Foundation also finances the largest humanitarian programme in the world, each year more than 1,200 International humanitarian projects are assisted financially by the Foundation, the Grant programme enables Rotarians to increase the support they give to international service projects that provide water wells, medical care, literacy classes and other essentials to people around the world that are in need. As an example Rotary set up a literacy programme in Thailand that dramatically reduced school failure and was adopted by the Thai government for all the nation’s schools. Since 1947 Rotary foundation has awarded more than £1 billion in humanitarian and educational grants which are administered at the local level – thus ensuring that the money really gets to those for whom it is intended. The Rotary Polio Immunisation Campaign is the largest service project undertaken by Rotary, and our aim is to eradicate Polio from the world. Rotary's commitment to global Polio eradication began in 1979 with a five year project to immunise six million Philippine children against this devastating disease.

In 1985, when more than 350,000 people caught Polio each year, around 1,000 new cases in the world each day, Rotary assessed the value of the project in the Philippines and decided that nothing short of total eradication would do. Rotarians raised more than US$ 247million in that year to start the project and since that date Rotary has contributed more than US$600 million and with its partners including the W.H.O, the Centers for Disease Control and a few other organisations has immunized over 2 BILLION children around the world. In 1985 more than 125 countries were polio endemic but now about 4 countries remain with polio and the world now has only around 1,000 cases a year but the figure fluctuates. Our task is some 99.99% completed but Rotary will not rest until the disease has been eradicated totally. Bill Gates has written: ‘For Polio, the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) has played the central role with Rotary International, the Centers for Disease Control and UNICEF as key partners.

Polio eradication has benefited immensely from having Rotary’s support. Rotary had the vision to get involved in 1985 and has kept polio eradication as its top priority. Everywhere I go to learn about polio I see Rotary members helping out with the hard work.’ I think that Rotarians can take great pride at what has been achieved and that achievement alone makes being a Rotarian something special. Natural disasters causing widespread havoc have seen Rotary International (with participation of our club included) provide humanitarian response to the countries affected. The three Worthing clubs have sometimes held street collections for a particular appeal but if not, they have utilised their charitable resources to provide help. The value of Rotary involvement is that within a few days the Rotary aid is sent by air in the form of Rotary Shelter Boxes and Aqua Boxes. Each Shelter Box contains a tent capable of sleeping 10 people, water filtration equipment and dehydrated food to maintain the 10 people for 4 weeks, plus emergency equipment, clothing, sleeping bags etc. The Shelter Box charity was founded by a member of a Cornish Rotary club.

Aqua Boxes are of two types (one slightly more basic than the other) and they purify water – a crucial element to survival in a disaster situation and hundreds of thousands have been sent abroad. INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ROTARY • Rotary International has been so highly regarded that it has had an arrangement with the International Herald Tribune Group in the U.S. which offered Rotary free advisement when there was unsold space. Some time ago the New York Times had a full page advertisement about Rotary which cost our organisation nothing ! • Rotary on average runs 50,000 club service projects in the world each year. • In India as many as 150 million children have been immunised in a matter of a few weeks with large numbers of Rotarians from many countries helping the local health authorities and the aid organisations. To date the staggering total of over 2 billion (2 thousand million) children have been immunised against polio virus. • In 1942 a Rotary conference held in London planted the seeds for the development of U.N.E.S.C.O. – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. • Forty-nine Rotary Members served as delegates and consultants to help draft the charter of the United Nations.

• Today Rotary holds the highest consultative status within the United Nations that any non-governmental organization can have. Rotary therefore has a voice within the UN allowing it access to its people and resources worldwide. • The Paul Harris Fellowship programme was established in memory of the founder to recognize substantial contributions to the promotion of goodwill and understanding in the world. Past and present Paul Harris Fellows include: HRH Prince Charles, HRH The Princess Royal, HRH The Duchess of Kent, Baroness Thatcher, Baroness Chalker, Mary McAleese, Lord Rix and Sir Edward Heath as well as many other people distinguished in public life. There are of course many outstanding holders of the award in other countries throughout the world. • Rotary now admits women and already there are 2000 women presidents of clubs. Our club is of course dual-gender and we have had a number of women presidents so far – with more to come! • All Rotarians have the right to attend the regular meeting of any Rotary club in the world by merely turning up on the day. Details of all clubs and where they meet are contained in a directory which is updated each year. Each club has a copy.

What you should gain from joining your local Rotary club: NETWORKING – Rotary is the oldest, most prestigious service club in the world. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE – Rotarians provide service at both the community and international levels. Service programmes address health care needs, hunger and poverty, illiteracy, disaster relief, environmental clean-ups to name a few. There is a sense of fulfilment from helping others. PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT – Whatever their ages Rotarians can benefit from the opportunity to take part in team-building, public speaking, fundraising and leadership. CULTURAL DIVERSITY – Rotary embraces people of every ethnic group, every political persuasion, language and religion (or those of no religion). WORLD UNDERSTANDING – Rotary members gain an understanding of humanitarian issues and have a significant impact on them through international service projects and exchange programmes of Rotary International and Foundation. The promotion of peace is one of Rotary’s highest objectives. ENTERTAINMENT AND FUN – District conferences and events and many social and even sporting activities within individual clubs provide the lighter side to service. Being a Rotarian should be an enjoyable experience – having fun and helping others is the aim.

ETHICAL STANDARDS – Rotarians should practise a 4-Way Test: “Are my words or actions based on truthfulness, fairness, goodwill and benefit to all?” Encouraging high ethical standards to one’s profession or business life and respect for all worthy occupations has been a hallmark of Rotary from its earliest days. STRUCTURE OF ROTARY – The headquarters of Rotary International are situated in Evanston, near Chicago, Illinois, USA. All clubs are subject to the basic rules of Rotary such as the requirement of members to attend a minimum of 50 per cent of weekly meetings. Such meetings include a meal as Rotarians believe that greater fellowship and friendship can be fostered if members eat together. However in recent times the rules on attendance have been amended so that if a Rotarian attends some fundraising occasion, social event or other function on behalf of Rotary or attends a committee meeting, such attendances can count towards the required target of attendances. Even attending a Rotary meeting on board a cruise ship can count as an attendance! Attending a meeting at another club also counts of course.

In fact greater flexibility is now practised by clubs in recognition of the demands on some members by their employment and in practical terms a failure to meet the 50 per cent attendance figure would be very unlikely to cause a member to forfeit his or her membership. Apart from clubs which form part of Rotary in Great Britain and the whole of the island of Ireland, all clubs abroad are responsible to and report through their districts directly to R.I. (Rotary International) in Evanston. R.I.B.I. (Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland) has a separate and unique organisation with headquarters in Alcester, Warwickshire. It has its own structure and secretariat which reports to Evanston. Clubs in the UK and Ireland report to R.I.B.I. Each country is divided into districts in geographical areas and in the UK and Ireland districts usually comprise about 60 clubs. There are 59 clubs in District 1250, the one which covers Worthing. In charge for a year is the District Governor. His team comprises a chairman responsible for each of the different areas of service such as Community and Vocational, International, Foundation, and so on – in fact a replica of each club’s structure.

The chairman of each club committee can seek guidance from the appropriate chairman at District.. In addition Assistant Governors are appointed also for a year. In the case of our district which comprises West Sussex, part of East Sussex including Brighton and Hove, and part of Surrey, each of our four Assistant Governors has responsibility to the District Governor for about 15 clubs. It is from the ranks of these officials, that the next District Governor is elected. All District officers, including the District Governor remain members of their clubs during their tenure of office. Districts have no premises and meetings are held at convenient locations. District assemblies and committee meetings are held sometimes at the South of England Show premises at Ardingly but school premises, the YMCA in Horsham and other suitable venues have also been used. CLUB STRUCTURE – The Rotary year runs from July 1 to June 30. Our club has the following structure (and most clubs have similar with of course the principal officers and main committees being mandatory): President Vice-President (next year’s President) Second Vice-President (President in the year after next) Hon.

Treasurer Child and Vulnerable Persons Protection Officer Club Almoner Attendance Officer and Duties Roster Webmaster and IT Specialist Disasters Fund Administrator (The club’s annual accounts are examined and certified by an independent suitably qualified person). Club Council (comprises the immediate Past President, chairmen of each club committee and six ordinary members of the club) The President, Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer are ex officio members of all committees. Council is the governing committee of the club and all matters fall under its remit. Club Service Committee deals with everything relating to the club and its administration, strategy, morale, policy, membership and so on. It reports to Council on club matters. Community and Vocational Service Committee deals with service to the local community involving practical help and financial giving where appropriate. International and Foundation Committee deals with help to those less fortunate abroad – mainly in third world countries including disaster emergencies, providing money to purchase tents and food and helping fund various projects to improve the lives of the recipients. Of course it also covers the Polio Plus programme. Obtaining grants from Rotary through ‘District’ to assist with projects both at home and abroad are the responsibility of this committee.

Membership Committee is concerned with the recruitment of new members and their retention. All officers have to be elected each year for a year’s service. Some may serve for a second year or for even longer but they have to be elected every year. ROTARY IN WORTHING Rotary started in Worthing in 1922 with the formation of the Rotary Club of Worthing on March 1 of that year and by March 5 the new club had agreed and published plans to support Worthing Hospital financially. ChristChristmas 1923 saw the first distribution of Christmas parcels for the needy in the town, a service which has continued each year, financed by public donations at the Rotary Christmas Tree of Goodwill situated in the Montague Street precinct. In recent times we have been able through the kindness of the companies concerned to collect also from some other sites such as supermarkets. In 1924 the Club purchased land to provide playing fields for the children of the town and in 1927 the club gave the land, through the Borough Council, to the children in perpetuity. The Rotary Sports Ground, as it is known, is situated on the Upper Brighton Road and is still much used by many different sports clubs and youth organisations.

The Great Depression in the aftermath of the First World War saw the Worthing Rotary Club praised by the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who wrote in the The Times newspaper: “The lead given by the Rotary Club of Worthing in organising aid for the unemployed of Brynmawr, South Wales, will, I hope be followed by other prosperous parts of the country – there can be no more practical way of helping a community than by following Worthing’s example.” The town of Brynmawr still has a social club which meets in Worthing House, named after the town that helped many in their time of need and our Rotary Club was last in touch with that town several years ago. Our Club has assisted many organizations in the town, being responsible for the formation of the Worthing Boys’ Club in Ivy Arch Road whom we still support today and our club is represented on its management committee 1952 saw the Club sponsor the formation of the town’s second Rotary club – West Worthing Club and 1978 saw the two clubs sponsor the formation of the Worthing Club. In the 1970s Worthing Rotary clubs paid for the provision of a sunken sensory garden on the southern end of Steyne Gardens for the benefit of blind people.

The gardens received a re-vamp in 2007. Our 50th anniversary year appeal saw the Club raise a substantial five figure sum to finance the building of Methold House for Guild Care. On August Bank Holiday Monday each year since 1923, with the exception of the war years and their immediate aftermath, our Club has organized one of the biggest and most popular events in the Worthing calendar, the Rotary Fair and Carnival Procession. In recent times this event has been run in equal partnership with the two other Rotary Clubs in Worthing . This Bank Holiday event gives entertainment to the public and large crowds are drawn to the event and quite considerable funds are collected for our charitable purposes. All able-bodied members of the two club are expected to take part in some capacity and there is a separate committee of members of the three clubs who make the arrangements. On the International Service side of our activities, the club has helped sponsor young business and professional people to take part in exchange trips to South Africa, USA and India with the aim of helping those young people develop their careers.

We have also provided the finance for more than 500 people in Bangalore, India to receive cataract eye operations to restore their sight, the youngest person to benefit was 17 years and the oldest 82 years. Some years ago we raised US$10.000 to finance the provision of school equipment for the Methodist Girls’ School of Mafme, Ghana. The money was used to provide computers, books, domestic science and sports equipment, desks and chairs and other school furniture. In addition two water wells were dug which now provide sufficient water resources for both the school and the Mamfe villagers. Other projects in countries ranging from Peru to The Gambia have benefited from our club’s support and of course our work is ongoing. For a number of years our club has funded the education of a few children in third world countries including children living in the Dominican Republic and in the Philippines. We receive letters from these children from time to time. These are but a few examples of the help that we have given overseas. Normally several projects are identified for our help each year, sometimes continuing from the previous year and we budget to raise the necessary funds to meet our requirements.

In July 2005, in Steyne Gardens, under the enthusiastic initiative, drive and planning of Past President Janet Stockwell Rotary celebrated its centenary in a spectacular way which informed the public about Rotary and its achievements and aims. It was a memorable occasion. It is pleasant to record that Janet was our first lady president. In conclusion it must be mentioned that Rotary regards the nurturing and encouragement of young people to be useful members of society as of paramount importance. For a number of years our club has participated in ‘Kids Out’ – an annual Rotary countrywide initiative that takes disabled and disadvantaged children out for the day. Some of our members accompany a party of the children to Chessington World of Adventure where they have a terrrific time. In Worthing we sponsor Rotary’s ‘Young Chef of the Year’ competition organised by Rotary throughout the UK and the whole of Ireland. A boy from Durrington High School did exceptionally well one year by finishing second in the national finals - a fine performance as 4000 initially took part in the competition. We have encouraged children in local schools to fill shoe boxes with small gifts and these are sent to poor children in poor countries. Youngsters have also participated in fundraising for the Polio Plus campaign.

These are but examples of what our club and Rotary clubs all over the country do to help the younger generation. If helping others is to continue on a meaningful scale it is important that young people are taught social awareness, part of which is helping those less fortunate than themselves. We are now well into the twenty first century and Rotary is well into its second century of service. Today life is very different from what it was one hundred, fifty and even twenty years ago and Rotary’s aim is to keep moving with advances in technology to improve communications and efficiency. This enables Rotarians to serve better their own communities and people in developing countries. With the wide range of talent and experience within its membership Rotary is uniquely qualified to make the most of resources of all types and Rotarians look forward to the future with optimism and a determination to continue to help make a difference in the world. Club History | Rotary Club of San Francisco Paul Harris founds the first Rotary Club in Chicago . 1906 San Francisco's Great Earthquake and Fire. 1908 Under the leadership of Homer Wood, the Rotary Club of San Francisco has its founding dinner, after its first meeting in June.

Homer Wood went on to found the Oakland, Seattle, and Los Angeles rotaries by 1909. 1915 The Panama-Pacific International Exposition is held in San Francisco. Members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco lobbied for it to be held here. the Sixth Rotary Convention is held in San Francisco this year as well. 1923 The San Francisco Boys Club is chartered; three-quarters of its officers are Rotary members. Rotary helps create branches in Visitacion Valley and Telegraph Hill. In 1924, the Rotary Club of San Francisco begins sponsoring the Boys Club, now the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco . 1926 The Rotary Club of San Francisco forms the California Society for Crippled Children, the basis for the Easter Seals movement in California. 1930 The Rotary Club of San Francisco opens Camp Marwedel (later Camp Mendocino) for boys. In 1942 this camp is donated to the Boys Club. 1959 The San Francisco Rotary Foundation is founded. 1971 Henry "Bru" Brunnier dies, leaving $100,000 for the establishment of an educational scholarship fund in his name.

1980 The Bradford Swope Rotary Memorial Scholarship is founded. 1983 The first auction/dinner dance is held. 1985 The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors the first Camp Enterprise. 1987 The first local extension club ( Rotary Club of San Francisco West ) is founded. Four women are admitted to the Rotary Club of San Francisco. 1988 The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors its first Academic Decathlon. 1992 Rotaplast International is founded by President Peter Lagarias and member Angelo Capozzi, MD, and the Homer Wood Grove is dedicated in Golden Gate Park. 1993 Member Kay Clarke is the first woman to receive Rotary International's "Service Above Self" award. 1996 T. Otis Paul, MD founds Rotavision International. 1998 Boeddeker Park reopens, with help from the revitalization project of the Rotary Club of San Francisco. 2000 Kathy Beavers becomes the first woman president of the Rotary Club of San Francisco. 2004 Alliance for Smiles is founded by member Anita Stangl. 2005 San Francisco Rotary Meadow on Mt.

Sutro is dedicated to commemorate the founding (in San Francisco) of the United Nations. 2006 Member Scharleen Colant receives Rotary International's "Service Above Self" award. 2008 The club celebrates its Centennial with a major series of events, including a black tie dinner attended by the President of Rotary International and dedication of new gymnasium at the Boys and Girls Club in San Francisco's Mission District. 2010 The Rotary Club of San Francisco sponsors the first Bike Build. 2015 History & Archives - ROTARYOne History & Archives Rotary was founded on February 23, 1905. Leaders of the Rotary Club of Chicago went on to establish Rotary International in 1910. The club has an extensive online archive of early documents available to the public, click here to view and search. On February 23, 1905, Paul Harris had dinner with his closest friend, Chicago coal dealer Silvester Schiele. Afterwards they walked up to Room 711 of the Unity Building where they met their host, Gustavus Loehr, a mining engineer; and another friend, Hiram Shorey, a merchant tailor.

Harris proposed that they form a club. No name was chosen for the group. But they agreed to meet next at the offices of Silvester Schiele. The second meeting was March 9th. Three other men, Harry Ruggles, William Jenson, and A. L. White joined them. Ruggles was a printer, and created the “name badge” version of the Rotary “wheel” and also started singing in Rotary. In fact his singing kept the group from disbanding more than once. It was also decided that “rotating” the meetings made “Rotary” the most logical name. Two weeks later the group gathered at the office of Silvester Schiele, in his coal yard at Twelfth and State Streets. Six of the previous seven were present along with Charles Newton and Arthur B. Irwin. Early Leaders Paul P. Harris (1868-1947) Rotary’s founder, Harris, was born in Racine, Wisconsin, USA, on 19 April 1868. He was raised by his paternal grandparents in Vermont and attended the University of Vermont, Princeton, and the University of Iowa. In 1897 he settled in Chicago and established a law practice.

However, he missed the close social relationships typical of small towns. Paul developed an idea for a club which would band together business and professional men in friendship and fellowship. On February 23, 1905, the Rotary Club’s first meeting took place in Room 711 in Chicago’s Unity Building (now where Block 37 stands). Paul named the club “Rotary” because the members met, in rotation, at their various places of business. The idea caught on, first in other U.S. cities and then in other countries. He was Rotary president from 1910 to 1912 and a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago until his death on 27 January 1947. Today there are over 33,000 clubs in more than 200 countries with over 1.3 million members. In 110 years, one man’s idea has become a worldwide force for service and international fellowship. Gus Loehr Loehr, a mining engineer, was born on 18 October 1864 in Carlinville, Illinois. He was a Rotarian for only a few years, never holding office at the club or international level.

But that first Rotary meeting was held in his office, Room 711 of the Unity Building in downtown Chicago. He died in Chicago on 23 May 1918. Hiram Shorey A Rotarian for only a few years, Shorey served as recording secretary during the club’s first year. He was born in Maine in August 1862 and died in March 1944. Silvester Schiele Schiele, a coal dealer, served as the Chicago club’s first president in 1905 and Rotary International’s third treasurer in 1945. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in June 1870, Schiele attended Terre Haute Business College and served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War. He was president of the Schiele Coal Company from 1902 until his retirement in 1939. He and Harris became lifelong friends and lived near each other on the South Side of Chicago. Schiele died on 17 December 1945 and is buried near Harris at Mount Hope Cemetery. Arthur F.

Sheldon Originator of the Motto, “He Profits Most Who Serves Best.” Charles A. Newton Creator and designer of the Rotary Wheel. Harry L. Ruggles (1868-1959) Ruggles is usually regarded as the 'Fifth Rotarian' when he filled the classification of 'Printer', joining the other four at their second meeting. In his trade, he produced most of the stationery for the new club, including the first printed emblem. Since they called themselves "Rotary," Harry used a wagon wheel with 'Rotary Club' above it. But Harry Ruggles' single great contribution had nothing to do with his trade. The story is told that little more than a year after Rotary had been formed, at an evening meeting in 1906, the guest speaker began a story. Having heard it before, Harry also had heard the off-color ending, and felt it was inappropriate for the club, so he jumped up in the middle of the joke and yelled, "Come on boys, let's sing!" He then led the club in the singing of 'Let Me Call You Sweetheart'.

This was not only the first time that members had ever sung in Rotary, but apparently, also the first time that a group of businessmen ever sang at a business meeting, anywhere. From then on, many Rotary Clubs, especially in the United States, "started to sing!" Originally from Michigan, Ruggles was a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and joined Rotary at its second meeting. He was treasurer of the Chicago club during its first year, president from 1908 to 1910, and a Rotary director from 1912 to 1913. His printing company, H.L. Ruggles & Co., printed the first issue of The National Rotarian and the first Rotary songbook. He died on 23 October 1959, an honorary member of seven clubs in addition to his home club, the Rotary Club of Chicago. Herbert J. Taylor (1893-1978) President, Rotary Club of Chicago, 1939-40 and Rotary International 1954-55. During a business crisis in 1932, he wrote the "Four Way Test," shown below.

It was adopted as part of Rotary International in January of 1943. The Four-Way Test In the early 1930s Taylor set out to save the Club Aluminum Products distribution company from bankruptcy. He believed himself to be the only person in the company with 250 employees who had hope. His recovery plan started with changing the ethical climate of the company. He explained: “ The first job was to set policies for the company that would reflect the high ethics and morals God would want in any business. If the people who worked for Club Aluminum were to think right, I knew they would do right. What we needed was a simple, easily remembered guide to right conduct - a sort of ethical yardstick- which all of us in the company could memorize and apply to what we thought, said and did. I searched through many books for the answer to our need, but the right phrases eluded me, so I did what I often do when I have a problem I can't answer myself: I turn to the One who has all the answers. I leaned over my desk, rested my head in my hands and prayed. After a few moments, I looked up and reached for a white paper card.

Then I wrote down the twenty-four words that had come to me: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? I called it 'The Four-Way Test' of the things we think, say or do.' ” Chesley R. Perry (1872-1960) Ches joined the Rotary Club of Chicago in 1908 at 36 years of age and continued to be an active member of our club throughout his lifetime. In 1909 Paul Harris asked Ches to develop a nationwide plan for an association of Rotary Clubs. When the National Association of Rotary Clubs (the forerunner of Rotary International) was founded a year later, Ches began a 31-year career as its General Secretary. When he retired from Rotary International in 1941 Ches Perry had overseen the incredible expansion of Rotary into a truly effective worldwide organization. Paul Harris said of Ches, “If I can in truth be called the architect, Ches can with equal truth be called the builder of Rotary International.” The Rotary Club of Chicago, known as ROTARY/One, meets weekly.

Please visit our member website for more information: 65 West Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604 ph: (﻿﻿312) 372-3900﻿﻿ Rotary Rotary Rotary International was founded in 1905. In 1906 the club became the first service club in the US with its installation of a public toilet outside City Hall in Chicago. Since then Rotary has grown to over 32,000 clubs in 168 countries around the world. Its participation with efforts to eradicate polio, clear mine fields in war torn countries and bring clean water to underprivileged people in remote locations is well documented. Less well documented but impactful all the same, the Enumclaw Chapter of Rotary International works tirelessly throughout the year to benefit the citizens in Enumclaw and on the Plateau. Chartered on April 5, 1969, this chapter works with youth, helps the community, and plays an active part in International and World Community Service.

Enumclaw Rotary has contributed to local improvements such as Rotary Centennial Park and supports: Rotary First Harvest, where perishable foods are acquired in large quantities, sorted and given to local food banks; The Enumclaw Senior Center, serving meals at special functions, organizing "honey do" teams to do yard work, change light bulbs, clean gutters, rake yards, and do whatever is needed by seniors who cannot help themselves; Enumclaw Public Library; On board | My Rotary My Rotary President K.R. Ravindran (left) and Vice President Greg Podd relax during a break. Photo Credit: Rotary International / Alyce Henson The directors, including Julia Phelps of the U.S. (left) and Saowalak Rattanavich from Thailand, typically meet four times per year. Most meetings take place at headquarters, but the directors also meet at the Rotary Convention and the International Assembly. Photo Credit: Rotary International / Alyce Henson Directors watch HD monitors and speak into desk-mounted microphones. All comments and discussions are timed. Photo Credit: Rotary International / Alyce Henson The 19 Board members and the general secretary gather for an official photo with RI staff photographer Monika Lozinska.

Photo Credit: Rotary International / Alyce Henson At the end of three days, the Board had spent nearly 60 percent of its time on issues deemed “strategic and transformative” to the organization. Photo Credit: Rotary International / Alyce Henson From the April 2016 issue of The Rotarian They came from Denmark and Spain, Thailand, the U.S., and other points around the globe. Last fall, the Rotary International Board of Directors gathered again in Evanston, Ill., not far from the office where Paul Harris hosted the first Rotary club meeting. One hundred eleven years later, Rotary’s Board spent three days addressing dozens of issues that boiled down to one: How will the organization Harris founded thrive in its second century? They met on the top floor of Rotary’s world headquarters, an 18-story tower with commanding views of broad-shouldered Chicago in the distance. Fifteen men and four women convened for the second of four scheduled Board meetings at 8:55 a.m. on Monday, 12 October, getting a five-minute jump on the workday. Pundits say board meetings often take on the chairman’s personality. From the start, these proceedings reflected the style of K.R.

“Ravi” Ravindran. Like him, they were convivially efficient. Previous meetings typically lasted four or five days; President Ravindran had trimmed that to three, so there was no time to waste. A tall man with a soft voice, he chaired the meeting in shirtsleeves, his tan jacket draped over the back of his chair. Encouraging debate at all times, Ravindran noted on one report to the directors that the committees were hardworking “but not infallible.” Each day, one director was asked to put forth the opposing view, challenging any quick consensus. Brad Howard was today’s official “devil’s advocate.” Ravindran also introduced electronic voting on issues that generated contentious debate “to preserve the independence of the directors,” he said. Much of the heavy lifting happened behind the scenes. A cadre of Rotary staff members spent weeks preparing the Board, and the committees that report to it, for the meeting. Matt Hohmann, Rotary’s corporate governance manager, uploaded the latest data, which the directors then synced to their iPads.

“Until 2011 we gave every Board member a giant paper binder 400 or 500 pages long, full of everything they’d need for the meeting,” Hohmann said. “If there was a last-minute change we’d round up all the binders, replace those pages, and send them out again. Now the directors have a secure Web portal where they can see changes. They can prepare for the meeting on a plane or in a car, making electronic notes on their iPads. It’s made meetings more efficient.” Rotary's Board of Directors spent three days addressing dozens of issues that boiled down to one: How will the organization Harris founded thrive in its second century? The directors dealt with housekeeping matters – the election of trustees, the 2016 schedule of Board meetings in Evanston and Seoul – before turning to issues such as an aging worldwide membership. Directors sat behind HD monitors and miniature flags of their nations, leaning forward to speak into desk-mounted microphones.

When a Board member spoke Portuguese (José Ubiracy Silva of Brazil), Italian (Giuseppe Viale), or Japanese (Takanori Sugitani), his colleagues put on headphones to hear simultaneous translation by interpreters sitting in mirrored-glass booths overlooking the boardroom. Other directors, such as Frederick Lin from Taiwan, Saowalak Rattanavich from Thailand, and Eduardo San Martín Carreño from Spain, spoke in English. Few directors spoke for much more than a minute. Lest anyone drone on, another innovation timed discussions in fast-ticking green numbers on each director’s monitor. All in all, the conclave was the very model of a modern board meeting. The Board analyzed the activities of its own individual members over the previous three months. As with any other business, each director, committee, and staff division has measurable annual goals aligned with the organizational goals, broadly referred to as KPIs (key performance indicators). At each meeting, the directors examine the progress made toward those goals. Directors learn from the best practices of the other directors. Vice President Greg Podd, an accountant from Colorado, was in charge of these presentations and had clearly done his preparatory work.

Ravindran commended Manoj Desai from India on his well-structured plan to make working visits to each of his districts – while suggesting that another zone was falling behind. The president has asked directors to visit 60 percent of their districts and have personal contact with at least 80 percent of their district governors. Between meetings, the directors chatted in the 18th-floor atrium, a sunny space under skylights that show the Rotary flag flying on the building’s roof. On the east end of the floor, with its postcard view of Lake Michigan, the photos of the 104 Rotary presidents who preceded Ravindran are displayed alongside a bust of Paul Harris. Glass cases hold a rotating exhibit from Rotary’s archives, such as sheet music for “The Rotarian,” a marching song, and letters between Rotary founder Harris and a friend, Grace Mann of Jacksonville, Fla. In 1906 she wrote to commend him on his original Rotary club constitution: “I would say you are a man of letters like Hamilton, a man capable of great things.” Back in the boardroom, the directors took up another matter as part of a larger discussion on membership: Should employment be a requirement to join Rotary?

Jennifer Jones, the director from Canada, said her sister-in-law, a highly educated woman with a family, active in her community, could be barred from membership if employment were required. American directors Julia Phelps and Karen Wentz agreed that such a rule might complicate Rotary’s long-standing gender issues. Fifteen men and four women convened at 8:55 a.m. on Monday, 12 October, getting a five-minute jump on the workday. The directors also agreed to allow nonmembers to attend conventions and to consider hosting conventions in cities that don’t meet the usual criteria. Robert Hall from Atlanta, who plays an important role as host committee co-chair of the 2017 convention, supported this action. Then they moved on to other matters: Member Benefits Program Manager Naish Shah gave the Board an upbeat report on the new Rotary Global Rewards program, which provides hotel, car rental, and other discounts to Rotarians. So far, the program is a success. Ravindran supports it, though he has heard from a few constituents who don’t. “They tell me they didn’t join Rotary to get something for themselves,” he said. “I tell them that’s no reason to discourage others.

If they’re uncomfortable with a discount, they are free to say, ‘Oh, no, I would prefer to pay full price.’” Guiller Tumangan from the Philippines and Şafak Alpay from Turkey also voiced their support of the program. The directors called for a follow-up report on Global Rewards at another Board meeting. In the evening, the directors met more casually in a conference room at Evanston’s Hilton Garden Inn. President-elect John Germ of Tennessee, who will chair next year’s Board meetings, said he has experienced less culture shock living in Evanston (as Rotary presidents and presidents-elect do) than his predecessor. It has been strange, Ravindran said, moving from Sri Lanka’s tea plantations, sapphire mines, and elephants to American apartment life. But he relishes the work. “I promised to drive costs down, introduce meritocracy in appointments, and add value to members, and we’re making progress on all fronts. Fortunately, I’ve got two wonderful successors far cleverer than me,” he said of Germ and Australia’s Ian Riseley (who was invited as an observer). The camaraderie and friendship among the three men is clear, one consulting the other on important matters and engaging in good-humored banter.

Jones and Wentz compared notes. “I was the first female in my club, first female president of my club, and first female governor of my district,” Wentz said. “I am proud of those achievements and am an advocate for developing women in leadership roles in Rotary. But there are many Rotary issues I’m interested in, and the last thing I want to be is a single-issue director.” She chatted with Howard, whose prime issue is keeping Rotary relevant to the under-40 set. “Right now, young people are not our demographic,” he said. “For one thing, they look at gatherings differently. The meal, the singing at meetings – we have to ask ourselves, Are these traditions central to our brand? Does fellowship have to be in a restaurant or a conference room? I don’t think so. Fellowship can be on Facebook. We’re starting to realize that the Kiwanis and Lions are not our competition. Life is. Work, family, time. Rotary’s evolving, and I like being part of that process.” The next day, the directors worried aloud about the graying of Rotary in their zones. England’s Peter Offer told of attrition in Great Britain due to the deaths of more than 700 members.

Worldwide, the largest age group of Rotarians is from 50 to 59; only 10 percent are younger than 40. A decade ago the typical club had 42 members; today the figure is down to 34. The most common club size is 20. Still, there are positive signs. Total membership is up, and more than 140,000 members joined between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2015. Scanning numbers on their monitors, the directors saw that 20 percent of today’s Rotarians are female, a number that varies geographically. Women account for about 26 percent of U.S. members, 13 percent in Western Europe, and 5 percent in Japan. "We're starting to realize that the Kiwanis and Lions are not our competition. Life is. Work, family, time. Rotary's evolving, and I like being part of that process." By Wednesday, a civilian might be forgiven for getting numb to the business jargon in the boardroom. Webinar. Optimize. Prioritize. Yet the Board’s labors had been optimized.

Hefty paper binders are a thing of the past. The old way of voting on sensitive issues – paper ballots dropped into a cardboard box – has been replaced by electronic voting via directors’ iPads. In the end, Ravindran’s Board reviewed 17 committee reports and made 68 decisions in three days. Per Høyen, a director from Denmark, admitted being perplexed by his role as devil’s advocate for a day. “It’s not my nature to be negative,” he said, adjusting his bow tie. Høyen went on to debate politely during the final-day discussions. At 5 p.m., Ravindran announced that he was pleased with the Board’s performance. Going into the meeting he had told Andrew McDonald, Rotary’s deputy general counsel who serves as secretary to the Board, “I want to spend our time on strategic and transformative issues,” instead of time-wasting administrative matters. Cutting Board meetings to three days was one step; the next was steering the Board toward cutting-edge issues that will determine Rotary’s path in the near future.

McDonald’s stopwatch revealed that the Board had spent nearly 60 percent of its time on “strategic and transformative issues.” At 5:05, the directors gave Ravindran a round of applause. “Well done,” he said. “See you at the International Assembly in San Diego.” After every Board meeting, members can find decision highlights and meeting minutes at: . By Kevin Cook About Rotary Johannesburg South {cke_protected}{C}%3C!%2D%2D%20article-content%20%2D%2D%3E {cke_protected}{C}%3C!%2D%2D%20article-content%20%2D%2D%3E There's something that all Rotary club members have in common: We take action. As community volunteers, we reach out to neighbors in need. We build, support, and organize. We save lives. We work locally and globally. Around the world and around the corner, the 1.2 million men and women of Rotary get involved in their communities, connect with other professionals, share their time and experience with young people, support global causes such as eradicating polio, and use their skills to help others.

Rotary International was founded in 1905 by Paul Harris, a Chicago lawyer, who wanted like minded businessmen to become more involved in their communities. Since its early beginnings, the organisation has spread to thousands of communities in hundreds of countries. Rotarians have been instrumental in numerous international projects and initiatives. One of the most successful initiatives has been the ongoing eradication of polio around the world. Many Rotary groups are involved with impoverished communities around the world in the provision of potable water supplies through the sinking of wells and boreholes. The city of Johannesburg was formally established in 1886 with the discovery of gold and the Witwatersrand reef setting off a massive gold rush that turned it into the financial powerhouse of South Africa. The original Johannesburg South club met at lunchtime and in 1987 the need for a supper club was identified which would allow for working gentlemen and ladies to join Rotary in the area to the south of the city. The Rotary club of Johannesburg South 101 was chartered in October 1988 with 24 members, but originally named in 1987, one year after the 100 year celebration of the city of Johannesburg (hence the number 101).

The meetings were originally held at Turffontein race course. The club currently meets every Tuesday evening for project discussions, fellowship and supper at United Cerebral Palsy Association in Townsview, which also happens to be one of the club’s primary projects. As at 1 April 2016 there are 11 members. We are a small but vibrant club with a number of worthwhile projects to our name, but we are always looking for new members and new ideas. Should you decide to join our Club, Rotary Johannesburg South 101, you will become part of a likeminded group of men and women, who meet weekly to share ideas, benefit from a first class guest speaker programme and be given the opportunity to become involved in a number of community projects. The old adage says that the more you are involved, the more you will gain from the organisation. However, we acknowledge that we all lead busy lives and so we like to see our members involved in at least one of our projects, as well as attending at least 2 meetings a month. These meetings are not limited to the weekly Tuesday meetings, but include any regular committee meetings, or visits to other Clubs.

Our fellowship events are worth attending and occur every 4 weeks, involving Rotarians and their partners. The membership costs are the initial annual subscription of R1750, which covers a monthly magazine subscription to the Rotary Africa. Lunches and dinners are an additional cost. Membership is by invitation and part of the process is the meeting with a senior member, as well as two complimentary lunch or dinner meetings in order to familiarise with Rotary members and routines.

Question: In which city in 1906 was the Rotary Club Organisation founded?
Answer: CHICAGO